Doubles' play Achilles' heel for Men's Tennis at ECACs

The Penn men's tennis team failed its first true test of the season, going 1-2 at the ECAC Championship in Flushing Meadows, Queens, N.Y., last weekend.

At full strength for the first time this season -- the team was split between Navy and Princeton last weekend -- there appears to be much room for improvement, particularly in doubles' play.

The Quakers opened up the tournament with a 4-2 loss against league foe Yale.

Doubles partners Jimmy Fairbanks and Justin Lavner and Craig Rubin and David Lynn dropped the first two matches of the tournament -- 8-2 and 8-6. Forced to come from behind, the Quakers could not overcome the initial 1-0 deficit.

However, behind straight-set victories from junior Alex Fritz and senior captain Ryan Harwood -- at No. 2 and No. 3 singles respectively -- the Red and Blue stormed back to challenge the Bulldogs in singles' play.

Todd Lecher's three-set loss at No. 6, however, would be the final deadly blow to the Quakers.

"I think the first match could have gone either way," senior Harwood said. "If we would have had the momentum and won the match."

And this trend -- solid singles crippled by weak doubles -- would characterize the weekend.

In a 5-2 loss to Boston College, the Quakers again lost the doubles' point.

Though the Quakers were able to counter with straight-set singles wins by Harwood -- 6-4, 6-4 -- and Lecher -- 6-3, 7-6 -- the lost doubles' point got them in an early hole from which they wouldn't recover.

"We didn't win any doubles points all weekend," Penn coach Mark Riley said. "I think the bottom line is that I need to prepare them better in doubles. I take full responsibility.

"I'm gonna have to get doubles in line."

Anxious for its first win of the fall season, Penn rallied to beat Army, with a solid 5-2 victory, in its final match.

Playing at No. 2 singles, Harwood completed a perfect weekend, defeating Cadets' singles player, John Sabia, 7-6, 7-6.

Although the Quakers lost the doubles' point yet again, Fritz, Lecher, Lavner and sophomore Anthony Pu turned in wins, capping off the disappointing tournament with an auspicious final showing.

Despite the final win, the Quakers focused not on their triumph but on their inability to win the doubles' point.

"We have the talent in doubles," Harwood said. "We can take three matches off almost any team."

Losing the doubles point, puts the Quakers in an early hole, forcing them to stage a rally in singles' play.

Simply put, it's a matter of momentum.

"We always find ourselves having to win four out of six to win the match," Harwood said.

This week, the Quakers will be gearing up for the Penn State Invitational.

And their focus rests squarely on their Achilles' heel -- winning the doubles' point.

"We're going to do doubles-specific drills in practice all week," Harwood said. "We have the talent, we just need to find the right combinations."

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